The Dragon Duelist
by Henry
Summary: Sometimes duelists are very single-minded. And sometimes they need a change in their dull lives...
1. Prologue

YU-GI-OH!   
The Dragon Duelist

  
  
****

**Prologue- Duel of the Dragons**

"This battle for the Duel Monsters championship will now begin. The finalists, Seto Kaiba and Ansem Jaeger will now begin their match." The announcer told the fans surrounding Kaiba's personal arena. "The winner will be crowned the uncontested champion!" 

Kaiba and Ansem stared each other down from opposite ends of the arena. The massive duel arena's holographic projections came to life, as 2000 life points appeared at both duelist's respective stations, and a veil of silence fell over the scene. 

"Duel." Ansem and Kaiba said together. Upon saying this, each competitor drew five cards from their deck, glancing at one another to decide who would go first. 

"I'll start this duel with Battle Ox!" Kaiba declared, summoning the axe-wielding Beast-Warrior monster onto the field (1700/1000). 

"Not bad." Ansem noted as he drew a card from the top of his deck. "I'll play one card face-down, and summon a monster in defense mode." 

Two rectangles of light appeared on Ansem's side of the dueling area, placing a protective wall around his life points. 

Kaiba drew a card- the Rude Kaiser. "I'll also play a monster in defense mode." Kaiba stated, playing a monster from his hand. "And I'll have Battle Ox attack your defense monster!" 

"Big mistake, Kaiba." Ansem said, flipping over his defense monster. "My monster is Prevent Rat (500/2000)! Your attack isn't high enough to defeat him!" 

Kaiba grimaced as he lost 300 life points, ceding the proverbial first blood of the duel. "It appears I've underestimated you." 

"Indeed." Ansem nodded. "Now I'll summon Koumori Dragon in attack mode!" Upon saying this, a small purple dragon emerged, glaring at Battle Ox. Unfortunately, its stats weren't quite enough (1500/1200) to match the Battle Ox. "And I'll play a Magic Card, Dragon Treasure! It increases the Attack and Defense of any Dragon-type monster by 300 points!" Sure enough, the Koumori Dragon's power was elevated (1800/1500). With the additional boost, Koumori Dragon shot at Battle Ox, and proceeded to rip it to shreds. 

Kaiba growled as his LP dropped to 1600. "Well-played." He drew a new card. "But not good enough! Go, Swordstalker!" The monster appeared on the field (2000/1600). "Now, my Swordstalker… destroy the Koumori Dragon!" With a swing of the monster's blade, Koumori Dragon was no more. 

Ansem's LP dropped to 1800. He seemed indifferent to this, as he drew a new card from the top of his deck. "I'll play another monster in defense mode and end my turn." 

"Not quite good enough." Kaiba smiled. "First I'll play this card- Sogen! It boosts the attack power of all Warrior and Beast-Warrior type monsters by 200 points!" Swordstalker's power was elevated (2200/1800), moving up high enough to cripple both of Ansem's monsters. "I'll also summon the Rude Kaiser, who gets an equal power boost- (1800/1600- 2000/1800). I play another magic card- Stop Defense!" Sure enough, both of Ansem's monsters were forced into Attack position- revealing their stats. Prevent Rat was the more easily vulnerable choice (500/2000) and Ansem's other monster, another Koumori Dragon (1500/1200) wouldn't last too long either. "And my Swordstalker will repay your Prevent Rat for that stunt you pulled." 

"No!" Ansem cried, watching in horror. 

"Yes!" Kaiba laughed. The Swordstalker charged forward, cutting Prevent Rat to pieces, as his LP took the long drop down to 100. 

Growling, but unwilling to give up- Ansem drew a card from the top of his deck. His frown changed to a sinister smile, as he pulled two cards from his hand. "First I'll play one card face-down…" 

"You'd be better off admitting defeat!" Kaiba mocked. 

"Not quite." Ansem replied, placing his second card down. "I summon my most powerful monster- Tri-Horned Dragon!" 

A collective gasp went out from the crowd, as the massive dragon appeared on the field. Amongst its intimidating blue carapace and triple-horned head, the duel fans could make out its incredible attack and defense power (2850/2350) and how the match had suddenly shifted into Ansem's favor. A massive burst of flame from the Tri-Horned Dragon incinerated the Sword Stalker, bringing Kaiba's LP down to 950. 

Kaiba drew a card from the top of his deck, and shrugged. "I can't do anything- except win this duel, that is! Rude Kaiser, destroy the Koumori Dragon!" 

The twin-bladed reptilian charged forward, preparing to hack Koumori Dragon to pieces… when a small troupe of soldiers suddenly materialized around the purple beast, protecting it and negating the attack. 

"Your attack activates my trap- Reinforcements!" Ansem smiled. "It boosts any selected monster's attack by 500 points!" The Koumori Dragon was now powerful enough to match Rude Kaiser's attack power (2000), leaving the battle at a stalemate. "And, as an added bonus- my Tri-Horned Dragon can now destroy your monster!" Another raging fireball incinerated Kaiba's monster, bringing his life points down to match his adversary.   
"It appears I've settled the score." 

Kaiba at first seemed enraged- but slowly formed a grin. "Quite the opposite…this duel is over. Powerful as your dragon is- mine is virtually invincible!" Kaiba drew a card from his hand and slammed it down onto the dueling area. "I summon Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" From the virtual duel systems in the arena, a massive white beast emerged… roaring triumphantly as it appeared on the field before its adversary- dwarfing even its high attack power (3000/2500). "Now, obliterate the Tri-Horned Dragon! Show which monster is truly the most powerful!" 

The Blue Eyes let loose a massive burst of light energy, which literally ripped the Tri-Horned to pieces, draining away Ansem's remaining life points- winning the duel then and there. 

The announcer waited until the ending had set in, and pointed towards Kaiba. "Your winner- Seto Kaiba: the new undisputed champion of Duel Monsters!" 

Various crowd members cheered. Others remained indifferent. Ansem climbed down from the arena as Kaiba let out a triumphant laugh. The fans crowded around him, and he basked in their glow. 

Ansem placed his deck in his pocket, staring at his Tri-Horned Dragon. Knowing the beast to be inferior to the Blue Eyes in anyway, he pocketed the monster alongside his other dragons. 

"I have no right to call myself a champion." Ansem said to himself. "Nor can I call myself a dragon duelist. Not until I can control the strongest Dragon-type monster there is." He raised one arm, and knowing no one could hear him, proclaimed: "I will defeat Seto Kaiba! And I shall claim the Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"   



	2. Flaming Sky

YU-GI-OH!   
The Dragon Duelist

  
  
****

**Chapter One: Flaming Sky**

While aimlessly wandering one day, Ansem returned to his home- and found a strange package. More specifically, a package from Industrial Illusions- the company that created the Duel Monsters game. Intently curious about what he had received, Ansem opened the package- to find an odd glove, two star-like objects, a pair of unusual cards, and a videotape nestled alongside everything else. 

Driven by his curiosity, Ansem lifted the glove, strapping it onto his wrist. Upon inspection of the gauntlet, he saw star-shaped insertion marks, presumably where the stars would go. There were a total of ten available slots, but Ansem had only received two of the star 'chips'. Searching for some form of clue, he inserted the videotape into his VCR, and began to watch. 

On his screen appeared a mess of long, white hair- covering the face of an eccentric billionaire, famous for his role in every duelist's life; Maxamillion Pegasus, the president of Industrial Illusions and creator of the duel monster's card game. 

Pushing his hair out of the way, Pegasus turned one eye towards Ansem. "Hello, Ansem Jaeger. As I'm sure you know- I am Maxamillion Pegasus. I'm here to extend an official invitation for you to compete in my tournament at Duelist Kingdom." 

Why would he need me? Ansem wondered. I'm not the champion- just another runner up. This tournament will yield only defeat for me. 

"I'll bet you're feeling pretty low from that loss Kaiba dealt you." Pegasus observed. "Though I have extended an invitation to him, I know he will decline- he is still suffering the affects of defeat." 

"Defeat?!" Ansem gasped. "Kaiba…beaten?" 

"Seto Kaiba was dealt a loss by Yugi Mutoh. I have extended an invitation to him as well, and I know that with…proper persuasion… I can get him to Duelist Kingdom. If you were able to defeat Yugi, you would become the no.1 duelist in all the land. There are a few new rules to contend with. Do you know the rules involving field power cards? They've been slightly altered for this tournament, so I know you could take advantage of the mountainous areas." Pegasus said with a grin. 

Jaeger smirked at the VCR, and lifted his arm, staring at the two star chips. "I'll defeat this Yugi character… and then I'll go after Kaiba. The title… and the most powerful dragons in the land… will be mine for the taking!" 

Pegasus made a short bow as the tape fizzled into static. Ansem turned off his television, and lifted his deck from a nearby container, staring at his 'lead' monster, the Tri-Horned Dragon. He placed the deck in one pocket, and prepared an outfit- dark blue jacket, lined with spikes, and equally-denim jeans, gray shirt and camo boots. A pair of red-tinted sunglasses completed the look, as light brown hair covered his face. He let loose a final chuckle, and charged from his home, towards the boat that would take him to Duelist Kingdom. 

Unfortunately for Ansem, upon his arrival, and upon boarding the boat, he was not exactly met with the warmest of welcomes- the various higher level duelist were all off to themselves, unwilling to mingle with anyone of insufficient skill. And of course, the champions had no desire to meet the runner-ups, with the notable exception of Weevil Underwood, the new Regional Champ, and the second-place finisher, Rex Raptor. Ansem passed by them without a word, searching for anyone (or anything) else. 

Unfortunately, he found just that. 

"Well, well- look what the cat dragged in." 

Ansem turned, in time to see the American flag bandanna over the blonde head of Bandit Keith, the Intercontinental Champion- and a duelist with only one known loss. 

"Keith." Jaeger greeted. "Well, I must admit- I didn't expect to find you here." 

"What, and pass up the opportunity to crush a few more duelists?" Keith smirked. "Beating these fools will be easy- and then I'll win that big ol' cash prize and take that rat Pegasus down." 

Jaeger smirked as well. "So, I take it your still mad at him for humiliating you?" 

Keith's smirk turned to a grimace. "He cheated me. You know that nobody cheats   
Bandit Keith." His melancholy attitude turned to outright anger. "NOBODY!" 

"Okay, okay!" Ansem suggested. "Look, man- you can have Pegasus all you want. I came here to take out Yugi Mutoh." 

"Oh, yeah- the kid who beat Kaiba." Keith nodded. "We all want to get him. But, from what I hear- he beat Kaiba in a way nobody's done before." 

"What do you mean?" Ansem wondered. 

"He used Exodia." Keith explained. "The five pieces of Exodia the Forbidden One." 

"You mean…" Ansem gasped. "You've got to be kidding. The kid actually summoned Exodia?" 

"Yep." Keith acknowledged. "You shoulda' seen it too- Kaiba's gone into hiding. The guy's a mess. His company's falling to pieces and he hasn't dueled in weeks." 

"Pity- I was hoping to pay him back for that blasted move he used." Ansem shrugged it off. "Ah, well. Even if this Yugi kid has the Exodia pieces- I'll stop him. I will be the greatest duelist in all the world!" 

"Whoa, man." Keith smiled. "You wouldn't be forgetting about me, now would you?" 

"You're welcome to duel me whenever you want, my friend." Ansem said simply. "And I know one of us will be the better man." 

"I know it too." Keith said with a sudden change of expression- from cheerful to heinous. "And that better man is me." 

"Uh… Keith?" Jaeger asked with growing discomfort. "Could you not do that?" 

"Sorry, 'buddy'." Keith replied, suddenly grabbing Ansem's glove. "But I'm afraid I don't need any speed bumps on my way to the cash." 

"Keith, what are you-" 

"Well, the plan is to take your star chips and shove you overboard." Keith proceeded to do just that, as Ansem plummeted over the side of the boat, looking up at an Intercontinental Champion doubled over with laughter. 

"KEITH!" Ansem cried in rage, as he slammed into the water, disappearing beneath the waves. 

"Happy trails!" Keith cried, as he then headed off, still laughing maniacally. 

Ansem emerged onto the surface, checking to make sure his deck was all right- and it was, within his airtight pocket. After a brief sigh of relief, he watched the boat head away, quickly disappearing over the evening horizon. 

Knowing the icy water would eventually claim him; Ansem began heading in the direction of the shore- but knowing himself to be miles from land, Jaeger eventually gave in to the current, and subconsciously rode the waves, further out to sea. As he began to lose all remnants of strength, staring up at the darkened sky, his eyes happened to behold something not far away- a massive red shape encircling over the water. 

The shape was relatively serpentine, though it had four tiny legs visible, its body was long and winding, like a snake's. A massive head sat at the creature's front, rimmed with two massive jaws. From each respective jaw lanced forth beams of light. 

Unable to maintain consciousness, Ansem finally fell, slowly sinking beneath the waves…   
  



	3. In the Company of the Bandit

YU-GI-OH!   
The Dragon Duelist

  
****   
****

**Chapter Two: In the Company of the Bandit**

Ansem finally drifted into consciousness, lying on a hard metal floor, his duel monster cards scattered around his body. His attire was no longer wet, but was ragged from battling the ocean. He slowly lifted himself, and began collecting his cards and putting his deck back together. 

"Ah, excellent, you're awake." 

Ansem turned, and saw a cloaked figure standing before him, with a trio of others behind it. 

"Who are you? Where am I?" Jaeger demanded. 

"My name is Seeker." Responded the cloaked figure. "And our…employer has patiently waited for you to wake." 

"What does your employer want with me?" Ansem wondered. 

"To see if you are worthy to serve him." Seeker replied. "You are one of this world's top duelists- but you've been unconscious for several days, and there is now a new duelist at the top." 

"You're kidding." Ansem said in disbelief. 

"The boy known as Yugi Mutoh has done the impossible- he has won the Duelist Kingdom tournament. And more surprisingly, he defeated Maxamillion Pegasus, this game's 'creator'." 

"He's better than I thought." Jaeger admitted. "Anyway, how does your employer intend to test me?" 

Seeker grinned smugly beneath his hood. "Why, with a duel. You will battle an opponent we picked up on our way back from Duelist Kingdom." 

"So…we're going back to the mainland?" Ansem asked hopefully. 

"We are." Seeker responded. "Keep in mind- we haven't decided whether or not to kill you yet." 

"Joy and rapture." Ansem muttered. "All right… take me to this guy." 

Seeker turned and pointed his hand forward. He and the other three marched forth, as Ansem followed suite, and they led him into a large chamber, where a duel ring had been set up. A person all ready stood at one side of the dueling arena, in the 'red' space- it was none other than a very annoyed Bandit Keith. 

"What the-" Keith started. "What? I have to duel him?" 

"That is correct." Replied a darkened figure sitting at a makeshift throne, located near the center of the arena. "You two are stowaways- and I wish to see which of you is the more valuable to keep." 

Ansem smiled wickedly, while Keith wore a growl. As his adversary joined him in the arena, Keith grudgingly turned to face his adversary. 2000 life points appeared for each player, as the hologram-projectors activated. Each player shuffled their deck and placed it on the field, drawing five card hands and beginning the match. 

"I guess I'll begin." Keith said. "And I'll summon the monster known as Launcher Spider in Defense mode!" Upon making this move, the massive arachnid machine emerged on the field (2200/2500). 

Ansem drew a card from the top of his deck. "I'll play these two cards face-down. Plus, I'll summon the mighty Tripwire Beast in Attack mode!" Upon saying this, two rectangles of light appeared in the arena, while the pincushion-esque, electricity-producing Tripwire Beast emerged (1200/1300). 

"That's it?" Keith asked rather mockingly. "In that case, I'll summon a new monster- Mechanical Chaser!" The strange, metal flying creature appeared on the field in Attack mode (1850/800). "Attack his Tripwire Beast!" 

"Right into my trap, Keith." Ansem grinned. "Reveal face-down card, Enchanted Javelin! It inflicts your Attack directly onto my life points- but increases them instead of decreasing them." Upon saying this, his life points were elevated to 3850, while his Tripwire Beast remained on the field, unaffected. 

"Punk." Keith muttered as he ended his turn. 

"Next, I'll switch Tripwire Beast into defense mode, and summon the beast known as Hyozanryu!" The single-horned dragon appeared (2100/2800) and attacked Mechanical Chaser, costing Keith 250 life points. 

Bandit Keith drew a new card. "I summon Zoa in attack mode." The reptilian-like monster appeared (2600/1900). "Next, I'll play Stop Defense on your Tripwire Beast. I believe you know what happens next." 

Ansem said nothing as the electric reptile was destroyed, and his LP dropped to 2450. He drew a card, and eyed his hand. "I'll lay one more card face-down and switch Hyozanryu into Defense mode." 

"Perfect." Keith said with a grin. "I'll activate this card- Metalmorph! It changes Zoa into Metal Zoa!" His monster was suddenly encased in a metal frame, and it received a sizeable power boost (2600/1900)- (3000/2300). "Now, attack and destroy his Hyozanryu!" 

"Right into my trap." Ansem replied. He revealed his facedown card- something that looked like a fortress, which promptly appeared around Hyozanryu. "Castle Walls! It raises my monsters defense by 500 points!" 

Keith snarled as he lost another 300 LP, bringing him down to 1450. Now a thousand points behind his adversary, he proceeded to curse profusely. 

"Now I'll summon the beast known as Tri-Horned Dragon!" Jaeger declared, as his triple-horned monster appeared on the field (2850/2350). "Followed up with my other face-down card, Dragon Treasure! It raises my monsters attack and defense power by 300 points!" The Tri-Horned Dragon became significantly more powerful- (3150/2650). "Destroy Metal Zoa!" 

A raging fireball later, and Metal Zoa was gone. Keith glanced at his 1300 LP, quickly realizing how bad his situation had become. 

Keith looked at his hand, and then at his remaining defense monster, Launcher Spider. It was a sacrifice he could afford… "I'll play this card- Dark Hole! It destroys all monsters on the field!" Ansem grimaced as his two dragons as well as Keith's Launcher Spider were obliterated. "And to finish things off, I'll summon Slot Machine in attack mode!"   
As he stated, the massive robot appeared (2000/2300). "I'll also lay one more card face-down." 

Ansem grunted and drew a new card. "I'll play this monster in defense mode." 

"Pathetic." Keith looked at his hand and frowned, knowing he had nothing of value- so he reached into his wristband and drew the card known as Seven Complete. "I'll throw down this little magic card, which raises my Slot Machine's attack power by 700 points!" His Slot Machine's power was boosted (2700/2300), as it stared down at the glowing rectangle before it. "Attack!" 

The Slot Machine surged forward, obliterating Ansem's defense monster, Prevent Rat (500/2000). The dragon duelist did not fret, as he drew a card from the top of his deck. "I'll now play this card- Fissure! It destroys one opponent's monster with the lowest attack!" 

Keith growled as his Slot Machine was obliterated and Ansem lay a new monster, the Koumori Dragon, on the field in attack mode (1500/1200). "Not a bad move, but ultimately, it won't save you. Now I'll play this monster- Barrel Dragon! His special ability allows him to attack three monsters at once!" The metal-encased dragon appeared on the field (2600/2200), and obliterated the Koumori Dragon, bringing Jaeger's LP down to 1350, just 50 points ahead of his adversary. 

Ansem drew a new card, and grinned. "I play the Red-Eyes Black Dragon in attack mode!" The massive black dragon appeared (2400/2000). "But that's not all…" 

Not the Red-Eyes again…Keith growled. "Hold it right there! I think I'll play this card- Heavy Storm! Just in case you had anything on the field…" All the magic and trap zones on the field were negated. 

"Hey, Seeker!" Ansem called. "Is this duel according to the same rules as the Duelist Kingdom tournament?" 

Seeker nodded. "Yes." 

Jaeger smiled. "Perfect! Then I'll play this card-Mountain! Normally it raises the attack power of all dragon, winged beast, and thunder type monsters by 200 points… but here… it's a 30% boost!" 

Keith gasped as the Red-Eyes attack power received a major increase- (2400/2000- 3120/2600). "No!" 

"Red-Eyes… Inferno Fire Blast!" The massive jet of flame incinerated Barrel Dragon, and Keith's LP dropped to a sparse 780. Jaeger cracked a smile, and waited for his adversary's next move. 

Keith drew a card from the top of his deck and cracked a smile of his own. "I play this card- Monster Reborn! I think I'll use it to revive that Tri-Horned Dragon of yours…" 

Ansem growled as his most powerful creature appeared on his opponent's side, starting out at (2850/2350), but climbing up to incredible heights (3855/3105). A shot from the Tri-Horned brought Jaeger's life points down to a mere 615. Though he was caught off guard, he was still prepared to continue the duel. 

"Dragon Capture Jar." Ansem said, activating the trap, forcing the Tri-Horned into defense mode. "And another monster in defense mode for good measure." 

Keith shrugged as he drew a new monster- Ground Attacker Bugroth (1500/1000). It wasn't exceptionally powerful… at least, not until Keith pulled a Machine Conversion Factory card from his wristband, concealing it in his hand. "Ground Attacker Bugroth, in Attack mode! And I'll toss in Machine Conversion factory, boosting its attack power to 1800!" The flying machine's power did increase (1800/1300), as it shot down at Jaeger's defense monster. 

"Dragon Piper." Ansem replied simply, flipping his defense monster up (200/1800).   
"The battle is a stalemate. Also, my Dragon Capture Jar is destroyed by said Dragon Piper." With the trap gone, the Tri-Horned Dragon was now able to attack. 

"You dweeb!" Keith laughed. "On my next turn I'll destroy you." 

"Wrong." Ansem said, pulling a card from his hand. "I play Change of Heart! The Tri-Horned Dragon is back on my side, and ready to take you down!" 

"No!" Keith cried again. 

A raging fireball spewed from the massive dragon's mouth, but as it raced towards the flying machine, both disappeared, and the dueling arena was suddenly deactivated. 

"Hey, what's the deal?" Ansem demanded. 

"Bandit Keith has the higher number of life points." Seeker said. "Therefore he is the victor." 

Ansem's jaw hung down while Keith grinned smugly. 

"This is bullsh-" Jaeger began, as the cloaked figures advanced on him and carried him back to his holding area. 

"So, what happens to me?" Keith asked. 

The figure at the throne rose. "You have proven your worth- so you shall be the one to announce my coming." 

" 'Announce your coming'?" Keith laughed. "Sorry, I've got better ideas." He reached into his pocket and withdrew his pistol. "I'd say you're all duelists- and this vessel's full of you guys. Give me your cards and the ship, and maybe I'll let you live." 

The figure grinned. "You've got cunning… and I couldn't help but notice your cheating ways. That will prove useful." 

"Back down." Keith ordered, cocking his weapon. 

"No… you back down." From within his cloak the figure pulled out a staff of some sort, and by extending it forward, he released a blast of energy, straight onto Bandit Keith's mind. The Intercontinental champion cried out and tried to resist, but soon found himself suppressed, as his arm began moving the pistol to point at his own head. 

"Wh-what are you doing?" Keith gasped, trying to fight. 

"No questions. You belong to me now." With a wave of the staff, Keith dropped the gun and stood, unmoving. "Welcome to my ranks, Rare Hunter." 

"Thank you, Master Marik." Keith replied stoically.   


Back in the holding area, Ansem waited in the bowels- for hours, days, without a word. Food was shuttled into the cell occasionally, but beyond that he remained, ignored.   
It was not until several weeks later that he was visited again, by the thin man known as Seeker, pouring light into the dark cell. 

"Our leader has accepted you." Seeker said simply. "Bandit Keith has failed him- and you may now work in our organization." 

"Oh, so I'm still just second-best, eh?" Jaeger grunted. 

"Hardly. We always knew Keith was a cheat, but that served our purpose for only a while." Seeker extended a hand out of the cell. "If you agree to aid our master, you can have whatever you want. If you choose not to, we will release you." 

Ansem Jaeger considered this. "What do you mean 'whatever I want'?" 

Seeker reached into his cloak and withdrew a handful of Duel Monsters cards. He handed them one at a time to Ansem. "These are the latest Dragon cards available. We know of your fondness for dragon-type monsters, so these may prove useful to you." 

Jaeger glanced at the cards in disbelief- Luster Dragon, Tyrant Dragon, Yamata Dragon, Dragon's Bead- and he looked up at a grinning Seeker. 

"Tell your boss I like it." Ansem grinned. "I like it very much."   



	4. To Stop the Unstoppable

YU-GI-OH!   
The Dragon Duelist

  
****   
****

Chapter Three: To Stop the Unstoppable 

It didn't take long for Ansem to become a member of 'the gang'. Their leader, Marik, revealed himself and welcomed the newcomer into his association- the Rare Hunters. He was given a uniform, and access to a compendium of cards and card supplements. The latest Kaiba Corp. technology was at their disposal, and several duel arenas were set up within the boat. Jaeger was ranked near the top, behind only Marik's two must-trusted allies- the tall, silent Odion and a Rare Hunter named Strings, whom Marik referred to as 'the Quiet One'. He dueled infrequently, but had defeated two of the Rare Hunters with relative ease in previous duels- and his stockpile of rare cards was increasing as he took what he needed from the vast supplies. A few warriors and fiends to make his deck a bit more balanced, along with some new Magic and Trap cards to keep him up to date. 

After a few more days of simultaneous dueling and collecting (and about a month after arriving on the vessel), Marik announced that Seto Kaiba was starting a new tournament. Eager for a chance to gain revenge, Ansem signed on with a few of the other Rare Hunters. His acquaintance Seeker, the two he beat- Lumis and Umbra, Strings, a few others he didn't know- essentially those who weren't preoccupied with other tasks. Marik felt no reason to sully his hands, and Odion always stood at his side, leading the Rare Hunters when his friend/leader/master could not. 

The tournament would be known as Battle City. A few of Marik's spies had acquired the technology that would be used- most notably Kaiba's new Duel Disc system. After analyzing the new rules and the basic design, the Rare Hunter engineers manufactured several, enough for the Duelists attending the competition. 

Marik instructed his Rare Hunters to get training in. Ansem shrugged and sought an opponent, but found no one interested in battling him. Instead, he sat in the ship's massive dining hall, with only the statue-esque Strings for company. But as he ate a light meal, he spotted Seeker off to one corner, sipping coffee and staring at a laptop. 

"Whatcha' doing?" Jaeger asked, heading over. 

"I'm analyzing all the Duelists participating in this tournament." Seeker answered. "You would not believe some of the filth they allowed in." He turned the screen and displayed it to Ansem. "All duelists received a rank of sorts- from one to five." 

"What's mine?" Ansem wondered. "Or was I invited?" 

"You're in here." Seeker nodded. "Your dueling level is four. Of the total number of duelists participating, you're ranked… eighth." 

"Eighth?" Jaeger repeated. He glanced at the screen. Above him were some of the top duelists- Mako Tsunami, Weevil Underwood, Mai Valentine… and at the very top- Yugi Mutoh, and finally, Seto Kaiba. "It figures Kaiba's ego won't allow him to admit he's only second-best now." 

"From what I hear, Yugi is not as great an adversary as we first assumed." Seeker explained. "His strength lies in his faith of the 'Heart of the Cards'. Somehow, he is always able to draw the card he needs to win. His rarest card is the Dark Magician." 

"Rarest card?" Ansem looked at the screen. For each duelist, there were vital statistics listed, along with their dueling level, and their rarest card. For him it was the Tri-Horned Dragon. For Mako- the Fortress Whale. Weevil- the Insect Queen. Mai- Harpie's Feather Duster. Kaiba- Blue-Eyes White Dragon. "This is odd- I thought Kaiba would boast about that new card you guys keep yapping about." 

Seeker's eyes narrowed. "You mean Obelisk?" 

Ansem nodded. "Do you think maybe he's trying to keep it a secret?" 

"It would be logical." Seeker checked the database again. "It would make the most sense to take out low level duelists first." 

"Can you tell me who has the best Dragon cards?" Ansem requested. 

Seeker smirked. "I had a feeling you might ask that." He clicked on the CPU a few times, then displayed the data. Mai had a creature known as Harpie's Pet Dragon in her records. Rex Raptor held the beast known as Serpent Night Dragon. A guy known as Joey Wheeler held the Red-Eyes Black Dragon. 

"Excellent." Ansem Jaeger smiled. 

"Marik has asked me to deal with the lower-level duelists." Seeker explained. "And take all the rarest cards available. Then, I'll move on to Yugi- the one Marik wants dealt with the most." 

"Any particular reason?" Jaeger asked. 

"Most likely- but nothing he would share with us." Seeker muttered. 

"Why are you dealing with the low level duelists?" Ansem wondered. 

Seeker reached into his cloak and pulled out his deck. He withdrew five cards from the top of it and displayed them to Ansem. "Behold- the five pieces of Exodia the Forbidden One." 

Ansem Jaeger looked on in awe at the four limbs and face of the unstoppable Exodia, all before him. He reached out, just as Seeker placed them back on the top of his deck. He looked up at Seeker again and grinned. 

"You wanna' duel?" Ansem asked. 

Seeker's eyes narrowed. "You can't be serious- you mean to duel me? Despite the fact that you know I control the unstoppable Exodia?" 

"I'm up for a challenge." Jaeger said, grinning confidently. "And besides, I need to try out the new Duel Disc system." 

Seeker nodded approvingly. "Very well- I also need to test the system." The two left their table and found an empty space atop the ship, moving about fifty feet from each other. Both placed the Duel Discs onto their wrists, and began shuffling their decks. 

"I can't wait to see how you set it up." Jaeger noted. "Do you have any really powerful creatures in there?" 

"You'll see." Seeker responded, slamming his deck into the device. He extended his arm and activated the Duel Disc. Small holographic projectors shot out from each side, as the 'field' was setup, joining two parts into one. 4000 life points appeared on one side monitor, as Seeker reached for his deck. Ansem did the same, and drew five cards from the top of his deck. 

"These rules are a bit new to me…" he muttered, glancing at his hand. "I'll lay two cards face-down," As he said this, two holographic cards appeared on the field. "And I'll throw down Koumori Dragon, in Attack mode." An image of the card appeared, but it quickly dissipated and transformed into an image of the fearsome purple dragon (1500/1200). 

"Not bad." Seeker muttered, as he drew a card from the top of his deck. "I play this card- Graceful Charity." Upon playing the magic card, he drew three new cards, shuffled them around in his hand, and then discarded two others. "Next, I'll set down this monster, in Defense mode." A large, horizontal card appeared before Koumori Dragon. 

Ansem drew. "I'll play this monster- Takirminos." He placed it on the field, and the sea serpent emerged next to the Koumori Dragon, rivaling its stats perfectly (1500/1200). "Since we're playing over water, I guess that means it receives a field power bonus." As he said this, Takirminos received a boost of 200 Atk and Def points (1700/1400). "So it will be my sea serpent that destroys your Defense monster!" Takirminos lunged forward, and cut Seeker's defense card in two. His Defense monster, Three-Headed Greedo (1200/1400), was destroyed. "In accordance with the new tournament rules, my Koumori Dragon will attack your life points directly!" 

Seeker braced himself for the attack, as the Koumori Dragon shot at him. He took the hit, watching as his LP dropped to 2500. He smirked and drew a card from the top of his deck. "I play another monster in defense mode, and lay one card face down." 

The battle was drawing the attention of nearby Rare Hunters, who stopped their activity and gathered around to watch the match. Unbeknownst to all of them, Marik and Odion watched the action high above. 

Ansem drew a card- the Flute of Summoning Dragon. In his hand were his Prevent Rat, the Shadow of Eyes trap card, and his new Tyrant Dragon. "I'll play this monster in Defense mode." He selected Prevent Rat, sliding it into one slot. "And I'll have Takirminos attack your new Defense monster!" 

"An unfortunate mistake." Seeker noted. "You attacked my Gear Golem, the Moving Fortress! It withstands your Attack!" Ansem groaned as the mere 1700 attack was ignored by the armored creature (800/2200), and his LP dropped to 3500. Though still a thousand points ahead of his adversary, Ansem Jaeger felt somewhat unsure. He knew that Exodia was on its way. 

Seeker drew and examined his hand. He held three Exodia pieces, as well as another Graceful Charity, but he felt no reason to play it. He turned back to Ansem. "I end my turn." 

Ansem drew a card- a monster known as Hayabusa Knight (1000/700). He slid it behind his Shadow of Eyes trap and selected the monsters on the field. "I sacrifice Koumori Dragon and Takirminos for the Tyrant Dragon!" The two monsters disappeared, replaced by the dark-skinned, flame-encircled beast (2900/2500). "Attack Moving Fortress!" His mighty dragon complied, annihilating the defense monster. "Now, I switch Prevent Rat into Attack mode- and have it attack as well!" 

Seeker nodded as his LP slipped to 2000. He drew- a duplicate Exodia piece. "I play Graceful Charity." He again drew three cards- among them one of the last remaining pieces, along with two more duplicates, which he promptly discarded. Using the lens placed in his left eye, Seeker spotted the card atop his deck- the final Exodia piece!   
"Now seems to be an opportune time to activate this- the trap card, Gravity Bind! With this in play, no monsters level four or higher can attack!" 

Ansem growled- almost all of his monsters were high level, so he was unable to attack. He drew- the Dragon Seeker (2000/2100). But that would help nothing, as it required a sacrifice to summon, and it would still be unable to attack. He looked at the other cards in his hand, feeling hopeless… until he noticed Hayabusa Knight… 

_Hayabusa Knight! _He thought. _It's a level three monster… and it can attack twice! With an attack power of 1000, multiplied by two… that would take out all his life points!___

As Ansem reached for the monster, he felt a new presence in his mind. 

_I wouldn't play that if I were you._

"What the?" Ansem thought aloud, before he breathed "Marik!" 

_Yes, it is I,_ Marik stated simply. _I know that you could win this duel quite easily, but I must request that you take a fall.___

"What?" Ansem whispered in confusion. "But… why?"__

_That answer is simple. Seeker must believe that his Exodia cards are unstoppable. If he fails to defeat you, his confidence will be shaken, and he will most assuredly fail in his task._

"But… Marik, I thought he just had to deal with weaker duelists!" Ansem argued. "Couldn't any of the other Rare Hunters do that?"__

_Perhaps, _Marik conceded. _But I have a plan all set up, that requires his specific assistance. He may fail in Battle City, or he may do as I have ordered him to. I will not force you. I merely request that you do this, so that we may take Battle City together._

Ansem felt the presence leave his mind, and took a moment to consider. He briefly held Hayabusa Knight, before placing it back in his hand. "I end my turn." 

Seeker grinned as he drew the top card. "While I… end this duel!" He lay out five of the six cards in his hand. "I summon Exodia the Forbidden One!" The four limbs and the head of Exodia all joined together, forming one massive deity, which towered over the Tyrant Dragon and Prevent Rat. "Exodia… obliterate!" 

Ansem Jaeger watched silently as his monsters were destroyed, and his life points instantly dropped to zero. He stood, silent, as the holograms disappeared. He placed the cards in his hand and field back into his deck and headed away, while Seeker was congratulated by a few of the other Rare Hunters. 

As he prowled toward the aft deck, Ansem was stopped as Marik and Odion turned a corner and appeared before him. 

"Clearly I misjudged you." Marik noted. "I assumed you would betray my trust at the earliest opportunity- and yet you lost when you could've easily won, simply because it was my request." 

"Seeker is also my ally." Ansem replied. "A victory would've created a greater rift between us." 

Marik grinned. "You are more worthy than I thought. Now I know this is the right choice… how would you like to lead the Rare Hunters in my absence?" 

"W-what?" Ansem Jaeger wondered, looking up in surprise. 

"Strings is next in the chain of command, but, as you've noticed, he's not good at giving orders… or talking in general." Marik explained. "So, while Odion and I are here, I entrust you leadership of my forces and general free reign." 

Ansem shrugged. "Whatever. You know the only duelist I want to defeat is Kaiba. Along with a few of those with rare Dragon cards." 

"Speaking of rare Dragon cards… I have something that may be of assistance to you…" Marik reached into his purple cloak and withdrew a purple-trimmed duel monsters card. "I give you this… the Mythic Dragon!" 

Ansem stared on in disbelief. The five-headed dragon's power alone was frightening (5000/5000), but he knew that a monster of such great stature would scare even a top duelist like Kaiba into defeat. 

"I like it." Ansem grinned, lifting the card in one hand. 

"It's not the only gift." Marik drew a card and handed it to Ansem. "This is a trap card called Last Turn. It will come in handy during your duel with Kaiba. Remember… challenge him for two Locator cards. His Blue-Eyes is yours, but I want Obelisk." 

"I'll consider getting it for you, Marik." Ansem said nonchalantly, placing the Mythic Dragon in his deck. "I have my own mighty creature at my disposal." 

"Now, you should get going." Marik said. "I need my first team of Rare Hunters in Battle City by nightfall. You'll be leaving in a few minutes." 

Ansem nodded, and gathered all his cards. He headed away, leaving Marik and Odion on the deck. 

"Master Marik…" Odion began. "…why did you not take over his mind? Surely his collection of rare dragons would help you in defeating the pharaoh?" 

"Because he's already given his soul to me, Odion." Marik answered. "His need for revenge has driven him right under my control. And besides… once he defeats Kaiba, all three Egyptian God cards will be in my possession again… he can have every dragon he wants… it will make no difference."   


Elsewhere, Ansem, along with a few of the other Rare Hunters, boarded small speedboats as the sun began to set. 

"We'll all move in packs." Ansem ordered. "Three Rare Hunters together at one time. Seeker, you take those two-" he pointed to two of the Rare Hunters he didn't know, "-and meet with our contact in Domino City. Lumis, Umbra, you will go out on your own. I'll take Strings and wait for the duelists to arrive. If any of you encounter Kaiba, avoid him. He is mine." 

The Rare Hunters nodded and followed their instructions, as Ansem and Strings boarded one boat, and headed away. 

_Soon…_ Ansem thought, _Soon, Kaiba._ _I will prove to you who the Dragon master is… and with your Egyptian God card and your Blue-Eyes in my hand… along with the Mythic Dragon…he lifted the monster in one hand, I will be the number one duelist.___

_You're about to be de-throned._   
  



	5. The Unstoppable Dragon Duelist

YU-GI-OH!   
The Dragon Duelist

  
****   
****

**Chapter Four: The Unstoppable Dragon Duelist**   


"Red-Eyes Black Dragon…" Ansem called to the beast. "Destroy Cyber Raider and end this duel!" The black dragon (2400/2000) roared and unleashed a flaming sphere, which incinerated the robotic warrior (1400/1000). Ansem's opponent, the 'psychic' duelist known as Espa Roba, watched helplessly as his LP dropped to zero. 

"No…" Roba whispered, falling to one knee. 

"Now, then…" Ansem Jaeger walked over, as the hologram of his dragon faded. "Give me your Locator card, as well as the Serpent Night Dragon you won from Rex Raptor." 

Grudgingly, Espa Roba gave up the locator card, and then handed over the dragon. Ansem grinned as he pocketed the beast, and added a third Locator card to his collection. 

It had been three days since the Battle City tournament began. Ansem won his first Locator card in a duel with some average adversary, claiming a beast known as Twin-Headed Thunder Dragon. For defeating Espa Roba, he had won another powerful dragon.   
Though Ansem had initially planned to go after Joey Wheeler, Seeker had beat him to the punch, only to be subsequently defeated by Yugi Mutoh, winning and losing the Red-Eyes in a matter of hours. Strings had left him to search for Yugi, while a number of Rare Hunters patrolled the city. Ansem, however, was looking for dragons. 

The duel had drawn a small crowd, filled with weak duelists. He could've taken a Locator card from one of them… but then spotted an adversary worthy of him. She had a full head of blonde hair, and he recognized her almost instantly. 

"Mai Valentine." Ansem noted. Remembering his conversation with Seeker, Ansem knew Mai held a monster known as Harpie's Pet Dragon. Searching his deck, Ansem found his Harpies… Harpie Lady and Harpie's Brother. But, despite the power ups they would offer, he disregarded the two and went for the dragon. 

Mai, fresh from another victory that had netted her a fifth Locator card, didn't care for the strange, cloaked man approaching her. "What's the matter?" she asked. "You got a problem?" 

Ansem, who wore a hood over his face, shook his head. "Hardly, Mai Valentine. I merely wish to challenge a top duelist like yourself." 

"Really?" Mai wondered. "Why are you so humble? That's a trap if ever I noticed one." 

"How about this offer, then?" Ansem began. "If you win, I will give you any rare card you wish, as well as one of my three Locator cards. If I win, I claim your Locator card and the Harpie's Pet Dragon." 

"Harpie's Pet Dragon?" Mai repeated. "Why do you want it?" 

"I am… a collector, of sorts." Ansem replied. "What say you?" 

Mai's eyes narrowed. "Any rare card I want? Do you have… Magic Cylinder?" 

Ansem lifted his deck from the Duel Disc, and fished out the trap card. "Yours for the taking._ If_ you can beat me." 

Mai smirked. "Hon, that won't be a problem." 

Ansem smiled as he quickly shuffled his deck and placed it back in his Duel Disc. He extended his arm, as the device activated, and hologram projectors launched from each side. Mai did the same, drawing a hand of five cards. 

"I'll lay two cards face down." Mai began, setting two cards before her. "And I'll play Harpie Lady in Attack mode!" 

The winged female monster appeared (1300/1400), standing before the two face down cards. 

Ansem drew- a Harpie Lady of his own! "I also place two cards face down, and summon a Harpie Lady of my own." He watched Mai's confused expression as he matched her move-for-move. 

Hmm….he's definitely up to something, Mai thought, drawing the Magic card known as Elegant Egotist. "I lay one more card face down, and end my turn." 

Ansem drew- a monster known as Thunder Dragon. In his hand were Dragon Piper, Lord of Dragons, and the monster known as Luster Dragon. "I'll set a new monster in defense mode… and then discard the Thunder Dragon from my hand." 

"What?" Mai asked. "Why do that? I thought you only had to discard when you have more than six cards in your hand?" 

"Have you forgotten Thunder Dragon's special ability?" Ansem smirked. "It allows me to search my deck, and add up to two new Thunder Dragons to my hand." He re-shuffled, and waited for Mai's move. 

Glancing at Ansem's Harpie Lady, Mai altered her attack plan, and made a move. "I activate the trap card- Shadow of Eyes!" She selected Ansem's defense monster, revealing it as Dragon Piper (200/1800), a monster that stood no chance in attack mode.   
"Now, Harpie Lady… Attack!" 

"Right into my trap." Ansem laughed, revealing a face down card. "Behold the magic card- Shield and Sword!" Upon saying this, the Atk and Def of all the monsters was flipped. Harpie Lady was destroyed by Dragon Piper's newly increased attack power, as Mai's LP dropped to 3600. 

"Darn it." Mai muttered. "I'll summon this monster- Dark Witch, in Attack mode!" The yellow-gowned spellcaster appeared on the field (1800/1400). "That ends my turn." 

"Very well." Ansem drew- the Spirit of Flames. "I sacrifice my Dragon Piper for Luster Dragon." The odd-shaped fire monster was destroyed, as the shining green dragon replaced it (2400/1400). "Attack!" 

"Not so fast!" Mai countered, revealing a face down card. "I activate this- the trap card, Waboku! Your attack is negated!" 

Ansem shrugged. "I'll simply destroy you on my next turn." 

"I think not!" Mai replied, drawing from the top of her deck. In her hand was a second Harpie Lady, a Dancing Elf, the magic card Mountain, and the equip card Rose Whip.   
"I set a new monster in defense mode, and I'll have my Dark witch attack your Harpie Lady!" 

Ansem watched in apparent amusement as his monster was obliterated, and his LP dropped to 3500. He shrugged and drew- adding the magic card Polymerization to his hand, before moving to his graveyard. "I remove my Dragon Piper from play… to special summon the beast known as Spirit of Flames!" After saying this, from his hand came the fiery creature, a relatively powerful level four monster (1700/1000). 

Mai smirked. "What good will that do? My Dark Witch is still strong enough to defeat your monster!" 

"But it's no match for my Luster Dragon." Ansem countered. "Besides, I could destroy you with Spirit of Flames… but I won't. Not this turn. But I will…" He lifted one face down card, "…activate the Shadow of Eyes trap card, to reveal your new defense monster." 

After the trap was activated, the tiny Dancing Elf was revealed (300/200), much to Ansem's amusement- he chuckled for a full minute before returning to the match. 

Mai drew- her Harpie's Pet Dragon! It would need some souping up, so she sent her Harpie Lady to the field. "I summon Harpie Lady, and combine it wit h the magic card Elegant Egotist!" After doing this, Ansem was staring down a trio of Harpie Ladies (1950/2100), waiting to attack. "That ends my turn." 

"Very well." Ansem drew- one of his Red-Eyes Black Dragons, and shuffled it into his hand. "Luster Dragon, destroy her Dancing Elf." The massive dragon roared as it moved forward, and launched attack onto the petite female monster, and Mai watched helplessly as her LP dropped to a mere 1500. 

Darn, I forgot to switch her back into defense mode…Mai turned her attention back to the duel and drew a new card- another copy of Elegant Egotist. "I sacrifice one of my Harpie Ladies and my Dark Witch for Harpie's Pet Dragon!" 

The two monsters were annihilated, replaced by the reddish beast, which let out a roar and took a seat between the two winged females, gaining a power increase (2000/2500- 2600/3100). "Attack his Luster Dragon!" Ansem watched as his monster was destroyed, and 200 life points were lost. 

Ansem drew- Raigeki. He sidled it in his hand and selected three cards. "I activate the magic card, Polymerization! With it, I fuse my two Thunder Dragons into one mighty beast- the Twin-Headed Thunder Dragon!" Upon saying this, the double headed electric creature appeared (2800/2100). "I can't attack this turn, but I still have a plan. I also summon Lord of Dragons in defense mode!" The spellcaster appeared, kneeling with arms crossed (1200/1100). "With him on the field, dragons are protected from target affects! Meaning that your Harpie Ladies no longer affect the power of your Pet Dragon." 

"You mean… its attack power goes back to 2000?" Mai gasped. 

"Indeed. And my turn isn't over yet! Spirit of Flames, attack one of her Harpie Ladies!" The flaming creature charged forward and punched one female, destroying it. 

"But… Spirit of Flames only has 1700 attack points!" Mai protested as her LP dropped to 1450. "My Harpie Lady should've defeated him!" 

"Read the rules more closely." Ansem advised. "When Spirit of Flames attacks, its Atk power is increased by 300 points. Just enough to slay your winged woman." 

Mai groaned. "Fine. I re-activate Elegant Egotist, restoring three Harpie Ladies to the field, now all in defense mode!" 

Ansem drew- the trap card, Path of Flame. "I'll lay one card face down, and then I'll sacrifice Lord of Dragons and Spirit of Flames for the Red-Eyes Black Dragon. That will end my turn." The holographic card and dragon (2400/2000) appeared, leaving the field relatively even. 

"With your Lord of Dragons out of the way, my Harpie's Pet Dragon is now fully powered again!" Mai observed, as her monster's strength was elevated to 2900. "And I'll have him attack your Red-Eyes!" 

"Such a powerful duelist making a rookie mistake." Ansem noted. "I activate my face down card- Path of Flame! When a dragon-type monster on my side of the field is attacked, I can increase its attack power by 1000 points!" As he said this, the Red-Eyes received a massive power boost (2400/2000- 3400/2000) and unleashed a massive jet of fire onto Harpie's Pet Dragon, destroying it in an instant, and leaving Mai with a loss of 500 life points, and her strongest monster destroyed. 

"No…" Mai whispered. 

"Now the duel ends!" Ansem declared, not bothering to draw. "I play Raigeki- destroying all monsters on your field!" Upon playing the magic card, the three Harpie Ladies were annihilated. "Now, Twin-Headed Thunder Dragon, destroy her!" The two headed beast gave a roar, and unleashed the attack onto Mai directly, allowing her life points to drop to zero. 

Mai groaned and fell forward, as the holograms disappeared. "No… how could I lose? How?" 

"You challenged me." Ansem answered as he stepped forward. "Now give me the Harpie's Pet Dragon and your Locator card." Mai glared up as Ansem extended one hand, and she grudgingly placed the items into his waiting palm. 

"I demand the right to duel you again!" Mai stated, standing upright. "I demand another chance." 

"I think I'll pass, my dear." Ansem replied. "I'm not interested in defeating someone who is clearly so blind." 

"Then maybe you're interested in dueling me!" came a new, defiant voice from behind them. Both Ansem and Mai turned to see Yugi Mutoh, in his common Yami Yugi form, standing before them. "If you're not willing to duel Mai, then maybe you want to do battle with me, Rare Hunter!" 

" 'Rare Hunter'?" Ansem repeated. "Please, don't be so vague, Yugi." He lifted his hood and revealed his face. "My name is Ansem Jaeger, a former contender for the duel monsters championship." 

"Regardless," Yugi pressed, "you have Mai's dragon, and if you won't give her a rematch, then I will duel you for it!" 

"Yugi, you don't have to-" Mai began, before Ansem moved before her. 

"Very well." Ansem nodded. "I will duel you. But only if you agree to play by my rules." 

"What are your rules?" Yugi inquired. 

"Very simple ones, Yugi Mutoh." Ansem replied. "We will not duel for Locator cards, as I already have four, and I intend to get the last two from Kaiba. Instead, we will each duel for each other's rarest dragon type monster. Meaning, that if you win, you get the Harpie's Pet Dragon. But if I win, then I claim the Red-Eyes Black Dragon you've recently obtained." 

Yugi looked down at his card holder and withdrew the Red-Eyes. He glanced it over, and then looked up at Ansem. "Very well, I accept!" 

Ansem clapped and slid the Harpie's Pet Dragon into his deck. "Excellent. Marik has placed quite a bounty on you. Be prepared, for today you face the Unstoppable Dragon Duelist!" 

"Unstoppable?" Yugi repeated, as he stepped back and allowed his duel disc to activate.   
"How do you get anyone to take you seriously?" 

"You should definitely take me seriously, Yugi." Ansem advised. "If you don't, you will fall, just like my last opponents." 

"Oh, really?" Yugi replied as he drew. "Then can you handle this? Alpha the Magnet Warrior in attack mode!" The metal soldier appeared on the field, brandishing its sword and shield (1400/1700). 

"I daresay I can, Yugi." Ansem said. "For I summon the Koumori Dragon, equipped with the magic card, Horn of the Unicorn!" As he said this, the purple dragon appeared and was immediately upgraded (1500/1200- 2200/1900). "Destroy Alpha!" The tiny dragon obliged, as it launched a burst of flame forward, destroying Alpha, and removing 800 of Yugi's life points. As the powerful duelist looked on in disbelief, Ansem smirked. "Are you taking me seriously _now_?"   



	6. The Dragon and the Pharaoh

YU-GI-OH!   
The Dragon Duelist

  
****

**Chapter Five: The Dragon and the Pharaoh**

"It's become clear that I have no other choice." Yugi noted, drawing a new card- the Summoned Skull. In his hand were Big Shield Gardna, Gift of the Mystical Elf, Polymerization, Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts and De-Spell. 

He selected two cards and one monster. "I'll lay two cards face down," he began, as the holographic cards appeared before him, "and then summon Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts, in Attack mode!" The ravenous mammal appeared on the field (1500/1200), roaring a challenge to Koumori Dragon. 

"An unusual move to be sure." Ansem drew- the Lord of Dragons. In his hand was the Flute of Summoning Dragon, Luster Dragon, the new Harpie's Pet Dragon, and the Dragon Capture Jar. "I'll lay one card face down, and then set my Lord of Dragons in defense mode." The card hologram of a fairly useful trap and a relatively useful monster (1200/1100) appeared on the field. "That will end my turn." 

"Very well." Yugi drew from the top of his deck, and pulled out Beta the Magnet Warrior (1700/1600). "I sacrifice Gazelle for Summoned Skull!" Upon saying this, the monster was destroyed, and the Summoned Skull appeared (2500/1200). "Attack his Koumori Dragon!" 

Ansem said nothing and watched as his monster was destroyed, as his LP dropped to 3700. He drew a card- the Lesser Dragon. "I play Lesser Dragon in defense mode." Ansem said simply, throwing down the tiny green monster (1200/1000). " And of course, when Horn of the Unicorn goes to the graveyard, it returns to the top of my deck. On my next turn, I can power up any of my monsters. That will end my turn." 

"Then I'll make my move!" Yugi declared, drawing a new card- the trap known as Mirror Force. "I'll set this card face down," he started, setting the trap on the field, and also summon Beta the Magnet Warrior in attack mode!" After saying this, the yellowish monster appeared (1700/1600). "Before I attack, I'll activate this- Gift of the Mystical Elf! It increases my life points by 300 for every monster on the field." Ansem grunted as Yugi's LP increased to 4400. "Now, Beta, destroy the Lesser Dragon!" 

Ansem growled as his monster was destroyed, leaving him with one defense. He drew the Horn of the Unicorn and added it to his hand. "I play Flute of Summoning Dragon!" Ansem stated, as the odd shaped flute entered the Lord of Dragons' hands. "With it, I special summon the Harpie's Pet Dragon in defense mode…" the reddish dragon appeared (2000/2500), "…and then sacrifice my Lord of Dragons for Luster Dragon!" He did as he had claimed, as the greenish dragon emerged alongside the other (2400/1400). "Destroy his Beta!" An attack from Luster Dragon destroyed Beta the Magnet Warrior, bringing Yugi down to 3700 LP. 

Why did he sacrifice his Lord of D.? Yugi wondered, Now his dragons are left on the field, relatively unprotected… there must be some plan up his sleeve. Yugi drew- the Red-Eyes Black Dragon! With a Summoned Skull on the field and a Polymerization card in his hand… "I play Polymerization!" Yugi declared. "And fuse my Red-Eyes and Summoned Skull into one…" The two monsters began to combine, increasing their powers. 

"… the Black Skull Dragon." Ansem Jaeger observed. "Powerful as it is, it can't attack this turn, so our match continues." The ferocious dragon roared in all its fury (3200/2500), as it stared down Ansem's monsters. "I'll draw…" he did, pulling out his Tri-Horned Dragon. "I'll lay one more card face down, and end my turn." 

"So will I." Yugi replied nonchalantly, pulling out- the Dark Magician. With nothing to sacrifice, the monster was of no great use. 

"Then allow me to add my two cents." Jaeger muttered as he drew- the magic card, Flight of Dragon Eyes. "I play Flight of Dragon Eyes! This magic card allows me to summon any dragon type monster from my hand. No tributes are required! It seems like a waste, but I think I'll summon the Tri-Horned Dragon!" The monster appeared from his hand, roaring out a challenge (2850/2350), "and I'll also equip it with Horn of the Unicorn, making it strong enough to destroy your beast!" The newly powered Tri-Horned Dragon (3550/3050) unleashed a concentrated burst of flame towards the Black Skull Dragon. 

"Not so fast!" Yugi replied, activating one face down card. "You've activated my Mirror Force trap card! Your attack is sent right back at you!" 

"Dragon Capture Jar!" Ansem countered, revealing the trap. Upon doing this, all dragon type monsters on the field were switched into defense position, among them Yugi's Black Skull Dragon. The magical barrier that had protected that monster launched the fire out and away, but it did not strike Ansem's monsters. "Mirror Force only destroys monsters in attack mode! My dragons are spared." 

"So I noticed." Yugi muttered. "I'll lay down Big Shield Gardna, in defense mode. That will end my turn." The warrior with the massive shield appeared on the field (100/2600), as Ansem added a card to his nonexistent hand. "Nothing here, I'm afraid." 

"Nor here." Yugi responded as he drew. "Just another card to lay down." 

The two players continued to draw, neither moving for a few turns. Yugi played De-Spell on Horn of the Unicorn, placing it back atop Ansem's deck, hoping to stall for time. Ansem set a new monster in defense mode, and slowly drew more and more. After five full turns, they now had hands to play with. 

In Yugi's hand was his Dark Magician, another Beta, the Magic Cylinder trap card, Brain Control, and Book of Secret Arts. He drew- the Dark Magician Girl! His hand now looked promising, especially with two powerful defenders on the field. "I place two cards face down, and end my turn." 

"As you will." Ansem Jaeger nodded, drawing as well. In his hand was Dragon Seeker, another Koumori Dragon, Polymerization, Horn of the Unicorn, and his most recent draw-Tyrant Dragon. "I sacrifice my defense monster for Dragon Seeker!" His defense monster, Prevent Rat, was destroyed, as the mighty fiend took its place (2000/2100). "His special ability allows him to destroy one dragon type monster on the field! Say goodbye to your Black Skull Dragon!" Dragon Seeker leveled its shoulder-mounted cannon at the Black Skull Dragon, and annihilated it in an instant. "That'll do it for me." 

"But not for me!" Yugi countered, drawing- adding Magical Hats to his hand. "I activate the magic card, Brain Control!" The card was flipped face up, as a brain-like object extended two freakish arms, grabbing Ansem's Harpie's Pet Dragon, and then tributing it, along with Big Shield Gardna for… "The Dark Magician!" His favorite monster appeared on the field in its flowing purple robe (2500/2100). "Destroy his Dragon Seeker! Dark Magic attack!" A blast of dark energy shot from the spellcaster's staff, obliterating Dragon Seeker and dropping Ansem's LP to 3200. He shrugged the attack off, and drew- the Dragon Piper! 

"I'll lay one more monster in defense mode…" Ansem explained, setting the monster down, "and that will end my turn." 

"And begin mine!" Yugi went on, drawing Kuriboh and adding it to his hand. "First, I'll lay this card face down… and then summon a new Beta the Magnet Warrior to join the battle!" The new magnet warrior appeared, the same as its predecessor (1700/1600). "But first, my Dark Magician will attack your new defense monster!" 

"Big mistake, Yugi." Ansem noted as his Dragon Piper was blown apart. "My Dragon Capture Jar has been disabled- and both my dragons go back into attack mode." Yugi drew back in clear terror at the sight, as his opponent regained the upper hand. Ansem drew- the card Marik had given him: Last Turn. "I'll lay this card down, and have my Luster Dragon take care of Beta once again!" Another energy blast left Yugi with one monster, and a reasonable 3000 life points left. "And my Tri-Horned Dragon will deal with your Dark Magician!" 

"Not so fast!" Yugi replied, revealing one card. "Behold- Magic Cylinder! Your attack is launched right back at you!" Ansem cried out in clear frustration as his life points took the long drop to 350. 

"Useless monster!" Ansem cried at his Tri-Horned. "If I had used my Tyrant Dragon, nothing would've happened to me! But I tried to trust you- my formerly powerful beast…" 

"You disrespect your cards!" Yugi growled. "For that- I will show you no mercy." He began to draw… 

"I am not done. I have one move left." Ansem smiled, suddenly happy. "I knew this monster wouldn't be able to attack right now, so I saved it for this moment. I play Polymerization!" The magic card was revealed, as Ansem's two dragons, along with the two in his hand began to combine. 

"Polymerization?" Yugi repeated. "What will that create?" 

"By fusing four dragons, I create a beast more powerful than any other!" Ansem said simply. "Now you will know why I am known as the 'unstoppable' dragon duelist!" The energy on the field took a form, that of a massive, five-headed creature. "The unquestioned king of duel monsters… the Mythic Dragon!" 

Yugi gasped- he had never intended to fight the mighty dragon again. He watched on in terror as a familiar beast appeared. Though its body was a golden yellow color, each of its five heads were different: one was made entirely of flame, while the other was made of wires and metal, and another was pale and spiked, and another was light blue, the final head was pure black, and residing in the center, where its great power all flowed (5000/5000). "Oh, my…" 

"I can't attack right now, so make your move." Ansem instructed. 

Yugi nodded and drew- the magic card, Multiply. "I'll lay another card face down, along with Kuriboh in defense mode." The tiny fuzzball appeared on the scene (300/200). "But I think I'll also use this- Magical Hats! Conceal my Dark Magician!" Four large hats appeared, moving around and hiding the Dark Magician. 

"What a waste." Ansem muttered as he drew. "I play De-Spell and destroy the Magical Hats." Yugi gasped as his barrier was destroyed. "Mythic Dragon, annihilate his futile creature!" Yugi watched on in horror as his favorite monster was destroyed, leaving the battle fairly even, with only 150 life points separating them. 

Yugi looked at his hand. There was little he could do- but one move that had saved him from another powerful dragon. "I activate the magic card Multiply! Now my Kuriboh will multiply, and fill the field!" Immediately after saying this, thousands of Kuribohs appeared, creating a barrier in front of Yugi's life points. 

Ansem glanced at the huge army before him, and then began to laugh. "This is your pitiful move? To think- I expected a challenge!" 

"And you'll get one." Yugi promised. "I still hold the lead, and I doubt you'll be able to defeat this many Kuribohs." 

"I don't need to." Ansem replied simply. "I could draw my Stop Defense, or perhaps Raigeki, but why bother? I have another card, already out, I might add, that can stop you here and now. It is quite appropriately named…" 

"What are you talking about now?" Yugi asked, glancing at his remaining cards- none of which could hope to match the Mythic Dragon. 

"What else?" Ansem asked, lifting the card for his adversary to see. "The trap card- Last Turn!" As he activated the card, all the Kuribohs were destroyed, but his Mythic Dragon remained. "When its controller has less than 1000 life points remaining, Last Turn allows me to select 1 monster on the field. My opponent then special summons 1 monster from his deck, and the two battle. Life points and magic and trap cards are ignored. The battle ends with one monster's defeat." 

Ansem expected Yugi to be caught off guard- defeated; but he wasn't. Yugi actually smiled. "You're right. The duel does end. But, powerful as your Mythic Dragon is, I have the one monster that can defeat it." Yugi discarded his hand and the cards on his field, and lifted his deck- selecting a monster near its top. "I summon Buster Blader!" 

It was Ansem's turn to be surprised. He watched as the warrior appeared on the field, adorned in purple armor, wielding a massive blade (2600/2300). He also watched as its stats began to increase drastically. 

"Buster Blader gains attack points from every dragon ever played on the field…" Ansem realized, before looking at his graveyard. "The four dragons I fused for mythic dragon, and the three I lost before that… and then the Mythic Dragon itself…" 

"500 points for every dragon!" Yugi called triumphantly. His warrior's attack power climbed to near unreachable heights (6600/2300), as its blade practically glistened with the energy contained within it. "Now, Buster Blader, swing your mighty sword!" 

Ansem watched- there was nothing else he could do. His 'unstoppable' dragon was cut apart by Buster Blader, and his life points dropped to zero. Ansem fell to one knee as the holograms dissipated, and Yugi stepped forward. 

"Now- as you promised, return the Harpie's Pet Dragon." Yugi instructed. 

Ansem glared up at Yugi, then nodded, as he lifted cards from his graveyard and handed the dragon to Yugi. He rose to his feet, and straightened the hood of his Rare Hunter uniform. "Well done, Yugi Mutoh. You're just as good as they said you'd be." 

Yugi seemed taken aback. "You're quite polite for someone who just lost a rare monster… and for one of Marik's henchmen…" 

"Henchmen?" Ansem Jaeger repeated. "I am not his lackey! I'm just helping him get what he wants- and in exchange, I get what I want!" 

"What does Marik want?" Yugi wondered, "aside from my puzzle, that is?" 

"Oh, that's easy- he wants the Egyptian card back from Kaiba." Ansem explained. "I've wanted a chance to battle Kaiba since our last conflict. If I defeat him, not only will I redeem myself as the world's most powerful dragon duelist and a contender in the Battle City finals, but also claim the world's most powerful dragon!" He went on as Yugi listened intently. "Marik wants Kaiba's God card, and I want the Blue-Eyes White Dragon! Then I'll finally be rid of some of the dead weight in my deck!" 

Yugi looked at Ansem sternly. "Do you mean your Tri-Horned Dragon?" 

"All my dragons are inferior." Ansem went on. "Only the Mythic Dragon is of any real use to me. The others are nothing more than fodder." 

Yugi lowered his head in apparent disappointment. "Clearly, Marik has blinded you, as he's done others in the past. Marik does not want you to have your dragons, he merely needs you to do his dirty work. Do you honestly expect to share the world with him once he's conquered it? Marik cares only for himself, and he will have no need for you once you complete his tasks." 

"We will see." Ansem replied, turning away. "I will see you in the finals, Yugi Mutoh. Next time, I won't be so reckless." 

"One more thing." Yugi called. "Remember that a duelist can never attain true power until they trust and respect their cards. Your Tri-Horned Dragon and the others in your deck respect and trust you- but you belittle them and call them worthless. If you trust in your beasts, and allow your two powers to intertwine… then maybe you really will be the unstoppable dragon duelist." 

"I do not share your fascination, 'pharaoh'." Ansem growled. "I'll deal with you in the future, and you will not halt my progress again." With that, he headed away, disappearing into a crowd of duelists. 

Mai came over, quite pleased. "Thanks, Yugi- you bailed me out of another jam." 

"Think nothing of it, Mai." Yugi responded. "I'll see you in the finals." He watched his friend leave and then glanced to where Ansem Jaeger had been.__

_My duels with Marik's forces have shown me how great a manipulator he really is. Keith couldn't resist his mental control. That Rare Hunter… Seeker, I believe, was overconfident because of Exodia. Arcana was desperate to be reunited, so he sacrificed his mind to Marik. But him… h_e turned, heading away… 

_…there may be hope for the Dragon Duelist yet…_   
  



	7. Self Doubt

YU-GI-OH!   
The Dragon Duelist

  
****

Chapter Six: Self-Doubt 

Ansem wandered through Battle City in a daze, still reeling from his loss to Yugi. A few other duelists were aware of his defeat, but none dared to mock him- they knew how powerful he was. He passed duel after duel, challenger after challenger, never giving the time of day to anyone- his thoughts rested on Yugi's harsh statement.**__**

**_"Remember that a duelist can never attain true power until they trust and respect their cards. Your Tri-Horned Dragon and the others in your deck respect and trust you- but you belittle them and call them worthless. If you trust in your beasts, and let your two powers intertwine… then maybe you really will be the unstoppable dragon duelist."_**

_He must be kidding, _Ansem thought, _or… I don't know… trying to provoke me or disorient me._ But the more he thought of that scenario, the less likely it became.__

_Have I been mistreating my monsters? _Ansem Jaeger came to a halt and sat on a city bench, watching duelists pass in the early afternoon. _Sure, I may not be the nicest guy, but I thought I was showing them the respect they deserve- they are my servants and I am their master._

_Did I always think this way?_ Ansem wondered, as he examined his deck. _No… I'm sure of it… I remember… back before I challenged Kaiba, I was starting out as a duelist… I had a group of Ultra Rare dragon cards- my two Red-Eyes, my Hyozanryu, and my Tri-Horned Dragon. No duelist could match my skill._

_My skill…_

_No!_ Ansem cried to himself, _my dragons are not my slaves! Without them, I'd have never beaten so many top duelists… it was their power I built my reputation on, and not my individual dueling ability…___

_I was a fool. I thought the game was all about power, just like Kaiba has always taught. His Blue-Eyes proved that power and strength mattered in this game…_

_…and yet…_

_…there's something that still haunts me. When I worked with the Rare Hunters, I learned of Yugi's greatest skill- a firm belief in a 'Heart of the Cards'._

_Heart of the Cards…_

_…is it true? Is there really some kind of soul in these monsters? Is there really some form of connection generated between a duelist and their monster?_

He lifted each of his dragons in turn. The Luster Dragon, that was instrumental in his defeat of Mai; the Serpent Night Dragon he won from Espa Roba; the two Red-Eyes he had so fortunately come across early in his dueling career; the Tyrant Dragon he had obtained from the Rare Hunters; Hyozanryu, which he had won in a minor league tournament; the massively powerful Mythic Dragon Marik had given him; the weak little Koumori Dragons and Lesser Dragon; and finally, his formerly greatest joy- the Tri-Horned Dragon. 

_It was the strongest dragon I could get!_ Ansem assured himself, _Had Kaiba not bought all three Blue-Eyes White Dragons, I'd have cared nothing for these creatures. In the current game, they are all obsolete! Only the Luster Dragon and the Tyrant Dragon can endure… if the Mythic Dragon wasn't so hard to forge, it would be my top priority. And of course, my lower level dragons are only used for sacrifice or distraction._

Ansem Jaeger again withdrew cards from his deck- three Lord of Dragons and an equal number of Flutes. _Of course, given how often I draw these, I don't need such creatures at my disposal. With even just one Blue-Eyes… my deck's strength could increase drastically.___

_But… if I am able to beat Kaiba, won't that mean my dragons are more useful than his Blue-Eyes? No… it merely means my own deck has the right mixture of support cards as well as powerful monsters…_

_One thing is clear. I must defeat Kaiba._

_I must possess the Blue-Eyes White Dragon! Only then will I know if these creatures have any value…_

Or…for that matter… if I have any value… 

Ansem awoke from his trance and put his deck back together, lifting himself, and almost instantly laying eyes upon his target. Walking past, accompanied by a small person with a large briefcase, was his greatest opponent- wearing a smug grin as always, with a new white cloak and duel disc strapped to one wrist; Seto Kaiba- apparently accompanied by his younger brother Mokuba, had finally revealed himself. Most duelists fled at the sight of him, while others respectfully moved away, and others gave affirmative nods. Only Ansem dared to stand and face him- and he was one of the few who had ever addressed the expert duelist. 

"What the-" Kaiba began as Ansem stepped forward, still dressed in his cloak and hood. "A Rare Hunter!" His surprise turned to amusement. "So, at last I meet one of you face-to-face." 

"Save it, Seto." Ansem snapped back. Kaiba turned angry, hardly believing anyone would reply so harshly to him. "You know me- I am Ansem Jaeger, the duelist you defeated to become champion." 

"Ansem Jaeger." Kaiba repeated as fury turned once again into amusement. "I didn't think you'd have the courage to show up. Been beating down weaker duelists, have you?" 

"Actually I beat a few of the people you ranked higher than me." Ansem replied, thinking back to his duel with Mai. He stepped a few feet back and pointed his finger right in Kaiba's face. "And now, I've come for you!" 

Kaiba smirked. "You challenge me? Again? Now, when my deck's strength is greater than ever?" 

"Let's just say I've got powerful friends, Kaiba." Ansem explained. "We will duel! If I win, I claim two Locator cards, as well as two of you rarest cards- the Blue-Eyes White Dragon and Obelisk the Tormentor!" 

"You make it sound as though you have a chance." Kaiba noted. "I have no reason to duel you- you have nothing of value." 

"Really?" Ansem asked. "How about the location of a certain Egyptian God Card?" 

Kaiba instantly focused his attention on his former rival. "You know where one is? Tell me, right now!" 

"Only if you beat me in a duel." Ansem persisted. "Admittedly, you have a lot to lose… but much to gain as well." 

Kaiba slowly nodded. "Very well. Two Locator cards. When I beat you, you will give me your rarest card and tell me where this God Card is." 

"When I win, you'll hand over those Locator cards and give me the two things in your deck I want the most!" Ansem countered. 

"We shouldn't battle here." Kaiba observed. "Meet me in front of my headquarters. Bring me what I want." 

"Good luck!" Mokuba called as the two left. "You'll need it!" 

Ansem smiled.   


Later, Ansem Jaeger stepped up to the massive Kaiba Corp. building, to find his nemesis waiting, Duel Disc already activated, deck set and Locator cards in one hand. 

"Let's get this over with." Kaiba instructed. "I want those God cards in my deck before the finals." 

"Don't worry." Ansem said as he activated his Duel Disc and slammed in his deck. "This won't take long." 

4000 life points appeared on each of their Duel Discs, as the two lifted their starting hands. 

"Now…" Kaiba declared. "It's time to duel!"   



	8. Seto Kaiba Vs Ansem Jaeger

YU-GI-OH!   
The Dragon Duelist

  


**Author's Note: **In this chapter's duel, Ansem uses a card called 'Howl of the Underworld'. This is the Legacy of Darkness card 'Bark of Dark Ruler'. It just bears the Japanese name and effects. 

  


**Chapter Seven: Seto Kaiba vs. Ansem Jaeger**   


"I'll start." Ansem began, eyeing his hand- the Koumori Dragon, Flute of Summoning Dragon, Life Absorbing Machine, Magic Cylinder and Prevent Rat. "I'll lay two cards face down…" Ansem selected the cards, "and I'll summon Koumori Dragon in attack mode!" Two holographic cards appeared on the field, while the purplish dragon appeared before Kaiba, baring its fangs (1500/1200). 

"How familiar." Kaiba mocked, looking at his hand- Battle Ox, Blue-Eyes White Dragon, Dian Keto the Cure Master, Ring of Destruction and Cyber Jar. The first card he drew was- Vorse Raider! "Perfect!" Kaiba declared, selecting the mighty monster from his hand. "I summon Vorse Raider! Chop up his Koumori Dragon!" The strange looking warrior appeared on the field (1900/1200), wielding a pair of blades attached by a length of chain, which it extended towards Koumori Dragon. 

"Not so fast!" Ansem countered, revealing one card on his Duel Disc. "I activate Magic Cylinder- reflecting your attack right back at you!" As Ansem said this, a pair of strange canisters appeared on either side of Koumori Dragon, as Vorse Raider's blade weapon was sucked into one of the devices and then hurled out the other, directly onto Kaiba's life points. The World Champion shuddered in surprise as his life points dropped to 2100. 

"Clever move." Kaiba noted. "But you can't hope to hold me off forever." Kaiba smirked, as he set Ring of Destruction down on the field. "That ends my turn." 

Ansem drew- the trap card, Howl of the Underworld. "I'll set this card face down and another monster in defense mode." He looked over at Kaiba and smiled. "That will do for me." 

Kaiba drew- Mystical Rift Panel! "I'll set this monster down in defense mode too, and then activate Ring of Destruction, to destroy your Koumori Dragon!" He said this and a circle of flames surrounded the purple dragon, destroying it instantly. "Normally, both players lose life points equal to the destroyed monster's attack power. But when I play Mystical Rift Panel…" Kaiba punctuated his statement by flashing the card in Ansem's face. "I can reflect those damaging effects back onto you. You loose 3000 life points!" 

"Not quite." Ansem replied calmly. "I activate Life Absorbing Machine." The device he spoke of appeared. "I only lose 1500 life points, while you lose two valuable trap cards." 

Kaiba sneered, as he now found himself 400 points behind his adversary. "Then that will end my turn." 

"Very well." Ansem drew- the Serpent Night Dragon. "I'm done as well." 

"I'm certain your defense monster can withstand my attack." Kaiba noted. "I remember all too well your little Prevent Rat." He drew a card- Axe of Despair. "I reveal my defense monster- Cyber Jar!" Instantly, the inconspicuous-looking mechanical cylinder appeared (900/900) and obliterated everything on the field. Each duelist drew five cards and showed them to each other. 

Ansem gasped. His own hand had a Lord of D., a Lesser Dragon, the Tyrant Dragon, De-Spell and Polymerization, but it couldn't match up to Kaiba's. In Seto Kaiba's hands were three simple beasts: Hitotsu-Me Giant, La Jinn the Mystical Genie of the Lamp, and Ryu-Kishin Powered. But the most frightful of his beasts were a Blue-Eyes White Dragon and a second… significantly more frightening creature… 

In Kaiba's hand was a great behemoth of a creature, a blue gray color, with an equally humanoid and demonic appearance… and Ansem knew at once he was laying eyes on Obelisk the Tormentor. 

"This duel will be over sooner than I thought." Kaiba observed, setting down his three beasts in attack position- (1200/1000), (1800/1000) and (1600/1200) respectively- and then selecting one magic card from his hand. "I play Dian Keto the Cure Master… boosting my life points back up…" Now with 3100 LP, Kaiba had regained the lead, and Ansem with only two weak defense monsters. 

Desperately searching for some hope, Ansem drew a card- the trap: Last Turn. _I could use this…_Ansem thought, _but my life points are too high and I don't know where his Blue-Eyes White Dragons are! If he has even one left in his deck, this card will be useless!_

He looked at his hand and his two defense monsters. "I play Flute of Summoning Dragon!" Ansem declared as he used the magic card, and sent Tyrant Dragon onto the field, extending its wings and lifting its massive head into a roar (2900/2500), and then bringing out the snakelike Serpent Night Dragon (2350/2400) both in defense position. 

"What a pity." Kaiba shrugged. "Oh, well. I guess defeating you means I get another God card… but first we'll see what you think of them…" He smiled wickedly as he lifted one card from his hand, and Ansem knew immediately what he had selected. "I sacrifice my three monsters for Obelisk the Tormentor!" Ansem could only watch in horror as Hitotsu-Me Giant, La Jinn and Ryu-Kishin were all destroyed, and replaced by a monolith of a creature… it dwarfed Ansem's two dragons with ease. 

Seeing the card was nowhere near as intimidating as seeing Obelisk in person (4000/4000). A light blue coated the monster's rough skin, which extended into points along its legs, hands and shoulders (as well as a sort of crown atop its head). Despite its menacing appearance, it was the monster's cold gray eyes, along with Kaiba's constant laughter that frightened Ansem Jaeger most. 

"Ye Gods…" Ansem muttered, stepping back. 

"God indeed." Kaiba chuckled. "Now witness his power… Obelisk the Tormentor, attack his Lord of Dragons! **_FIST OF FATE_**!" 

Ansem could say nothing as Obelisk lifted one massive arm, before bringing it down on Lord of D. with the force of a small earthquake. The spellcaster was annihilated instantly, but Ansem's life points were spared. 

Still terrified, Ansem shakily reached for his deck. _I have three dragons and a Polymerization card. If I draw another dragon… any other dragon, I can bring out my most powerful monster. I have several dragons in my deck, so the odds of drawing one are high…_ Ansem again reached for his deck, with a bit more confidence._ But I have several other cards that could interfere… and I'm not sure whether I shuffled well enough…_

…__

_I have to stop doubting myself,_ Ansem realized, _I have to believe… like Yugi does… in my cards._

_The Heart of the Cards… the heart of my cards…___

_…and believe we can defeat Kaiba._

Finally Ansem drew, lifting the card high in the air, and revealing it as one of his Red-Eyes Black dragons. "I play Polymerization!" Ansem declared, as his four dragons began to join together. "And my four dragons shall form a creature strong enough to defeat you, Kaiba!" Together, the dragons fused into one beast- a five-headed behemoth with a tan-colored body but ridiculously powerful and fearsome appearance, with stats to match (5000/5000). It was Kaiba's turn to gasp: he had not expected anything to match up to his god card. "I can't attack this turn… but Obelisk is no longer a match anyway." 

Kaiba glowered as he drew a card- his Polymerization card. With no way to fuse anything, however, and Obelisk not affected by magic and trap cards, left the battle in Ansem's favor. There was no way Kaiba would switch Obelisk into defense mode… his ego wouldn't allow it. But Kaiba was paralyzed with fear. 

"Mythic Dragon!" Ansem called, pointing towards Kaiba. "Annihilate that creature! Show it the true power of dragons!" The five-headed beast complied, launching its various attacks onto Obelisk. The great God stood for a few moments, attempting to resist the attack, but it was ultimately annihilated, and Kaiba lost his most powerful beast, as well as 1000 life points in an instant. He glared at Ansem, who had gained complete control of the field. 

"No…" Kaiba gasped, as he fell onto one knee. "How? How can this…" He stopped, unable to speak. 

"It seems that you're losing your cool already." Ansem noted. "What's the matter, Seto? You must've known that someone would inevitably beat you. After Yugi proved it was possible, that is…" 

Seto Kaiba lifted himself then, glaring at Ansem Jaeger. "No. I can not be beaten." He drew a card from the top of his deck, and punctuated his move with a statement: "And now I'll prove it!" He showed his card to Ansem- the third and final Blue-Eyes White Dragon. "I play Polymerization, and fuse my three Blue-Eyes into one creature…" The three dragons appeared on the field, and began to combine. 

Ansem watched with great interest. So… the Blue-Eyes White Dragon has more power than I gave it credit for… I may have to get all three of those dragons from Kaiba… 

"Behold…" Kaiba declared, as the three-headed creature appeared, "the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!" The great creature appeared, flapping its large wings, pointing all three mouths at the Mythic Dragon (4500/3800). 

Ansem smiled. "Powerful as it is, Kaiba… I don't think there's anything you can do with it." 

"Watch." Kaiba replied maliciously, drawing one of the only remaining cards at his disposal. "I play Axe of Despair!" Upon doing this, the monster's power rose even more- making it more powerful than ever (5500/3800). 

Ansem gasped and stepped back. The battle had shifted again. "No way…" 

"I can't attack, but I'll lay this monster in defense mode." Kaiba noted. "It's your move." 

Ansem slowly nodded as he drew- the Flight of Dragon Eyes card. But he could do nothing. Even if he used De-Spell on Axe of Despair, Kaiba could restore it by sacrificing his extra monster. "I switch Mythic Dragon into defense mode." Ansem muttered helplessly. 

"And I pull it right back into the fray!" Kaiba called, drawing the card that sealed Ansem's fate. "Stop Defense!" 

"No!" Ansem growled, as the Mythic Dragon returned to attack position. He tried to help his beast, but there was nothing he could do. 

"Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, Neutron Blast!" Kaiba called. The three-headed Blue-Eyes moved each mouth into a different area, creating a sort of triangle. Each head charged up energy, which formed into a singular sphere- which it then shot at Mythic Dragon, annihilating it in an instant, along with a few life points (half of the 500 were spared thanks to Life Absorbing Machine). 

Now with 2250 life points to match Kaiba's 2100, and an empty field, Ansem could do nothing. He was trapped. 

"You fought better than last time." Kaiba observed. "But you could hardly hope to match up to me, now could you? Maybe another defeat will teach you your place." 

Ansem glared up at Kaiba as he looked at his field and hand. There was nothing he could do. 

Nothing except draw the card he needed. 

I have to believe… Ansem told himself, as he lifted the card into his hand, not looking at it. I have to know that this card can win the duel. I have to know that I can win. 

That we can win… 

"Well, this was fun." Kaiba chuckled, "we'll have to try it again some-" He was cut off by Ansem's declaration. 

"I play Flight of Dragon Eyes!" Ansem cried, tossing the magic card down. On the field then appeared his once most-trusted beast, the blue-skinned, sharp-clawed Tri-Horned Dragon (2850/2350). "Tri-Horned Dragon, annihilate Kaiba's defense monster!" 

And so the Tri-Horned Dragon did, annihilating Kaiba's defending Battle Ox (1700/1000). "And now…" Ansem continued. "I play De-Spell on your Axe of Despair!" The Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon's stats returned to normal (4500/3800). 

Seto Kaiba glanced at Ansem Jaeger. "As impressive a display as that was… this duel is still mine. Say good bye to Battle City… NEUTRON BLAST!" The Ultimate Dragon again combined its powers, and let loose a massive energy blast… but it stopped as a great mouth appeared before Tri-Horned Dragon, stopping the attack. "What the…" 

"I activate my final trap- Howl of the Underworld!" Ansem declared. "By subtracting a few life points, I can reduce your monster's attack power!" 

"W-what…" Kaiba began, before gasping in realization. "No!" 

"1700 life points should do." Ansem noted as his LP dropped to 550. Now with a mere 2800 attack points, the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon's attack fell short, as the triple-headed Blue-Eyes was destroyed, Kaiba with 50 less life points, and more importantly… a clear field. 

"No!" Kaiba cried in disbelief, as he watched both of his most powerful creatures were destroyed. 

"Now, Tri-Horned Dragon…" Ansem said simply. "For every humiliation we endured… for every duel gone awry… and for every mistake I made in my spite.. FINISH HIM OFF!" 

With a new sense of unity, the Tri-Horned Dragon complied, as it unleashed an incredible blast of flame directly onto Kaiba's life points. The champion screamed as his LP dropped to zero, and the duel ended.   


Finally, a few moments after the bombshell sunk in, Ansem Jaeger stepped forward and looked down at his fallen foe. 

"So…you finally won…" Kaiba admitted. "Take what is yours. You beat me." 

Ansem could hardly believe his senses. The sight of Kaiba cowering before him, and the words he had spoken… and Ansem Jaeger was ready to comply, lifting two Locator cards, as well as the God card, Obelisk the tormentor… and his prize… the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. 

"At last…" Ansem gasped, his face wet with tears. "I have the most powerful dragon in the world…" As he prepared to place the creature at the top of his deck… he hesitated.__

_What's wrong with me? _Ansem wondered, surprised at his hesitation. _This is what I've waited for. This is what I want!_

_Or is it?_ came a new voice. _I didn't know what I wanted…_

He lifted the Tri-Horned Dragon into his hand. _But it was in my deck all along._

Ansem Jaeger turned to Kaiba and tossed the cards back at him. "Thanks but no thanks, Kaiba." 

"What?" Kaiba gasped. "But… this is what you demanded of me! This is what you wanted!" 

"It's what I thought I wanted." Ansem replied gently. "Sorry, Seto. But I don't need them anymore." 

As he turned away, his body went into violent convulsions. He grabbed at his head and screamed. 

_What do you think you're doing?! _Came Marik's voice into Ansem's mind. _Go back and get Obelisk!_

_What are you doing in my mind?! _Ansem shot back. _This is my battle! I never had any obligation to you!_

I gave you power, you fool! Marik raged back. _I gave you some of my best cards… and all I wanted was Obelisk in return! Now GO AND GET IT._

_Get out of my head, Marik! _Ansem cried desperately. _I don't want Kaiba's cards anymore!_

You will pay for disrespecting me, Dragon Duelist. Marik promised. _Now be a good little mind-slave and get me that God card!_

_Get out of my head! _Ansem repeated. _I am not your mind-slave!_

_I beg to differ._

Ansem screamed again as he felt the pain in his head growing. But, after a few moments, he stopped resisting. 

"What's going on?" Kaiba demanded, turning Ansem around, seeing a strange, golden eye burned into Ansem's forehead. 

"Nothing." Ansem replied, in a mixture of his voice and Marik's. "As I was saying, give me Obelisk and your Locator cards." 

"I thought you didn't want them…" Kaiba began. 

"I changed my mind." 'Ansem' replied coldly. "Give me the God card, before I…" He stopped and again grabbed his head, and the golden eye dissipated. 

"What's happening to you?" Kaiba asked. "What the hell's wrong with you?" 

"STOP FIGHTING!" roared one voice. "NO!" came another. "This is my mind… and you won't take it!" 

Kaiba tried to move in, but Ansem let out another scream and charged away as fast as he could. 

"What's wrong with him?" Kaiba wondered, before dismissing it. "Ah, well. I still have my key…" He glanced at Obelisk and cracked an evil grin. "…to Yugi's defeat."   


Yugi himself, was in one corner of Battle City, speaking with Yami. 

"So… have you sensed any more of Marik's henchmen?" Yugi asked curiously. 

"I'm afraid not." Yami replied. "They don't seem very active. Perhaps I-" He stopped and looked around. "I sense him. Marik is near." 

"What?" Yugi gasped, but he said nothing else as he and Yami combined into Yami Yugi. The combined entity glanced around, until he spotted Ansem charging towards him. 

"Maaarik!" Ansem roared. 

"The Dragon Duelist?" Yami Yugi wondered, before grabbing Ansem in mid-run. "What about Marik?" 

"Yugi!" Ansem cried in relief... which quickly turned to desperation. "Help me…. Please help me…"   
  



	9. Dragon's Sorrow

YU-GI-OH!   
The Dragon Duelist

****

**Chapter Eight: Dragon's Sorrow**   


"I came in with the Rare Hunters." Ansem explained. "Marik gave me a few cards from his personal stores. In exchange, he wanted me to stall you and take Obelisk from Kaiba. I was all too happy to help, what with my desire to claim the Blue-Eyes and reestablish my reputation as a top duelist…" 

"I see." Yugi nodded. "Are any of the Rare Hunters still in Battle City? I've defeated two of them…" 

"Two?" Ansem repeated. "Marik has sent at least two dozen! I came in with six other Rare Hunters. One of whom you beat, as I recall. But those Exodia pieces were going to his head anyway." 

"You mean the fake Exodia pieces?" Yugi wondered. 

"They were fake?" 

The two continued talking for several minutes. Yugi continued to press the issue regarding the other Rare Hunters' whereabouts. 

"What happened to Lumis and Umbra?" Yugi asked. "What about Strings?" 

"I haven't heard from them." Ansem answered truthfully. "And of course, Marik himself is too good to sully his hands. So he sends underlings like me." 

"Marik is a liar and a coward." Yugi assured him. "And you were able to free yourself from him, at least temporarily." 

"He's a dead man when he gets here." Ansem muttered. "I'll take him down myself." 

"You won't need to." Yugi replied. "Eventually, Marik will come after me, and I'll be the one to take him down." 

"About that…" Ansem said as he rose. "If you don't mind…" He shoved Yugi over and charged away. "…I'll deal with him now!" 

"No!" Yugi called after the retreating Ansem. "Don't go after him! He knows you're coming!" 

_Good. _Ansem thought grimly as he ran, _I want him to know. I want him to be afraid.___

"But there's nothing to be afraid of." Came a hoarse voice on Ansem's right. He screeched to a stop and peered into a shadowed alley. 

"Which minion would you be?" Ansem asked calmly. 

"I am not a minion- I am an extension." Came the voice, as Strings appeared from the shadows- dressed as he always was, in red, black and a whole lot of piercing- with an activated duel disc and sinister grin. "Marik wants to know why you tried to betray him." 

"Because I've had enough of his cowardice." Strings flinched as Ansem spoke. "What's the matter? Marik can't hear us." 

" Can't I, Jaeger?" came the cold, high voice of Marik from Strings' mouth. "Who do you think is allowing this mute creature to speak?" 

Ansem snorted. "Still hiding in the dark, Marik? Using someone else as a shield yet again?" 

"The simple answer- is yes." Marik replied through Strings. "You are not worthy of again meeting me in person." 

"I beg to differ." Ansem growled a reply. "I want you to know- I'm done with you. I no longer need to follow you. I don't need your help." 

"You would dare say this to me?" Marik growled back. "You took my cards… my technology… and I trusted you with it, you ungrateful, useless…" 

"Stop flattering me, you coward." Ansem snapped. "I'm not listening to your crap anymore." 

" And yet we carry on a conversation." Marik mocked. "I'm afraid you don't understand your obligation to me. It is a lifetime of servitude or eternal wandering of the Shadow Realm." 

" 'Shadow Realm'?" Ansem repeated. "I don't fear any such place. Bring on every one of your minions, Marik!" 

"I'm not surprised by your confidence." Marik chuckled. "It just means my assumptions of you were correct. You are powerful… but so very lost." 

"Stop yapping." Ansem instructed angrily. 

"I have a wager for you." Marik made Strings step forward. "Have a duel with me. If you lose, I will give you the option to come back and serve me or spend the rest of your life in the Shadow Realm. But if you can win under these conditions, I'll make no demands on you. I will accept whatever you decide." 

"Sounds interesting." Ansem nodded. "Fine! I'll take you down here and now." 

"This alley's a bit small for a duel." Marik said, using Strings' voice. "Follow me to this building's rooftop. It will be an adequate site for your downfall." 

"Or yours." Ansem replied pleasantly. He activated his Duel Disc, shuffled his deck, allowed 4000 life points to appear on his system's screen, and started the duel atop the low roof. A few duelists and city patrons were below, and took notice of the adversaries about two stories above them. 

"Would you like to begin?" Marik asked nastily, drawing. 

"Why not?" Ansem answered, lifting five cards- Harpie's Brother, Bottomless Trap Hole, Gravekeeper's Servant, Luster Dragon, and Hayabusa Knight. "I'll lay two cards face down, and then I'll play Harpie's Brother in Attack mode!" 

The face-down card appeared, followed by the winged human (1800/600) to guard Ansem's life points. 

"Pitiful." Marik/Strings mocked. "I play Worm Drake in attack mode." He set the serpentine monster forth (1400/1500) to match Ansem's flying creature. 

This seems a bit too easy. Ansem thought, but shrugged it off. He drew- his first Lord of Dragons. "I'll throw down Hayabusa Knight in attack mode. Unlike before, I won't spare you from his wrath." The bipedal falcon in armor appeared, brandishing his two swords (1000/700). "First, my Harpie's Brother will deal with your Worm Drake!" The winged warrior shot forward, defeating Worm Drake in an instant, leaving Marik with 400 less life points. "And then, Hayabusa Knight will deliver his two attacks unto your life points!" Marik merely smiled as his LP was dropped to 1600. 

"About what I expected." Marik chortled. "I play Pot of Greed." He said as soon as he drew it, adding 2 cards to his hand, giving him a total of seven. "I'll throw down this monster in defense mode." 

Ansem drew- a Flute to go with his Lord of D. "And I'll take it out! Harpie's Brother, attack his defense monster!" Again the winged warrior shot forward and attacked the holographic card. Unfortunately, Harpie's Brother had attacked some strange, shapeless gray entity- revealed as the monster Humanoid Slime (800/2000). Ansem glowered as he lost 200 life points. 

"What's the matter?" Marik laughed. "Monster a bit stronger than you expected?" 

"A bit." Ansem replied truthfully. "But not enough for your sake! I sacrifice my Hayabusa Knight for Luster Dragon." The falcon warrior disappeared as a great green dragon took its place (2400/1400) and promptly blasted away Humanoid Slime with a jet of green light. 

"Not bad." Marik muttered snidely. "But, as is fairly common- not good enough." He drew, and played his card instantly. "Nightmare Steel Cage! You'll be trapped for 2 turns!" As he said this, iron bars appeared around Ansem's monsters, restricting them from any sort of movement. "And I'll also play this- Jam Breeding Machine!" Upon saying this, a strange device appeared on his side of the field, and produced a tiny, wriggling slime. "To finish my turn- one card face down." 

Ansem drew- the Red-Eyes Black Dragon. "I summon Lord of Dragons in defense mode." He set down the spellcaster yet again (1200/1100). "And that will do it for me." 

"Very well." Marik drew. "I'll set down another Humanoid Slime in defense mode, just too keep you on edge." Another shapeless blob appeared from the machine, bringing the total number of shapeless blobs on the field to three. 

_I've got to do something… _Ansem thought. _But I'm restricted for one more turn. If only there was a way to get rid of those enemy monsters…I must allow the Heart of the Cards to guide me once again…_ Ansem drew… and then declared: "I play Change of Heart!" the familiar magic card appeared, as Ansem Jaeger instantly seized control of one of Marik's Slime Tokens. "Attack your fellow!" Without any question, the Jam Defender attacked the other Slime Token, and both were destroyed. 

_Clever move, _Marik admitted against his will. _But I didn't expect this to be too easy… at least he's made my day interesting._ Aloud, Marik/Strings uttered: "I play Graceful Charity." He drew three cards from the top of his deck, and then selected two from his hand and discarded them. "I'll lay one card down on the field, and another monster in defense mode." 

"And you'll see them both knocked down!" Ansem assured, as the Nightmare Steel Cage dissipated. He drew- Stop Defense. "I play Stop Defense on your Humanoid Slime." Upon saying this, Humanoid Slime was switched to attack position, leaving itself vulnerable. "Luster Dragon, destroy that creature and win me this duel!" 

Another jet of green light shot at Humanoid Slime, but it was intercepted by another slimy creature that had appeared on the field. Upon closer inspection, Marik had revealed his defense monster- Revival Jam, as well as one of his face-down cards: Jam Defender. 

"What a waste." Marik noted. "With my Revival Jam out, my monsters are protected!" Marik drew, and set a monster down. "I'll play another Worm Drake, as well as a new Slime Token." 

Now with four monsters on the field, and one of them defending Marik's every weak spot, Ansem was cornered. 

But still he drew… and he played. "Flute of Summoning Dragon!" From his hand appeared the Red-Eyes (2400/2000) and the Tri-Horned (2850/2350), bringing the total number of monsters on the field up to five. 

"You want to make your death interesting, then?" Marik grinned as he drew yet again. "I play this- Infinite Cards. With this Magic card in play, there is no limit to the number of cards a duelist can hold in their hand." Marik then selected one other card from his hand and grinned again. "All this planning is designed for a single beast… more powerful than any you've yet faced… stronger even than Obelisk the Tormentor and your Mythic Dragon!" 

"Suuure." Ansem replied without the slightest hint of fear. 

"Now that I have enough monsters on the field." Marik punctuated his statement as he pointed at the Slime Token, Humanoid Slime, and Worm Drake. "I can sacrifice all three…" He did just that, and all the monsters were annihilated "…for a beast the likes of which you've never seen!" The sky began to darken above them, as dark gray clouds filled the sky. "Behold… Slifer the Sky Dragon!" 

Slowly, ominously, a burst of light shot from the ground into the sky, and a reddish form began to lower from the clouds. It was serpentine, but had wings. Its arms were tiny and barely visible on its long body, but its head was very prominent- it seemed to have two sets of jaws. 

"Well… there's a dragon you didn't tell me about." Ansem muttered. 

"Do you really think I would entrust such a valuable creature to you?" Marik asked. "Let us see how well you like him." Marik counted the cards in his hand. "Slifer gains 1000 extra attack points for every card in my hand. With five cards in my hand, my total attack power is 5000!" Ansem cringed at the sight (5000/5000). "I won't attack this turn… but…" 

"Cram it!" Ansem countered, revealing his face-down card. "Bottomless Trap Hole! Your monster is automatically destroyed!" Ansem waited, but quickly noticed Slifer was unaffected. 

"Did I neglect to mention that Slifer is an Egyptian God Card? It is immune to Magic and Trap cards!" Marik practically made his mind-slave dance with glee. 

This won't end well… Ansem thought as he reached for his deck.   


Elsewhere, Kaiba Corp.'s Battle City surveillance network had caught sight of Slifer's presence, but were unable to notify Kaiba due to certain…complications… 

"How many times do I have to tell you not to call me when I'm working?!" Kaiba raged. "White Lightning!" 

"But, sir…" 

"Quiet or you're fired!"   
  


Ansem lifted his card- Last Turn. For all the good it did, Ansem reached down on his Duel Disc. "I switch all my monsters into defense mode." 

"I draw…" Marik grinned, "But also activate this- the Trap card, Reckless Greed! At the cost of my next 2 draw phases…" He picked up two cards from his deck. "I bring eight cards to my hand!" Slifer was then powered up accordingly (8000/8000). "Now Slifer, attack his Luster Dragon!" Ansem watched in horror as Slifer opened its first mouth and sent out a blast of golden energy, instantly obliterating the great green dragon. 

Ansem drew- Dragon Dwelling in the Cave. "I'll set this monster in defense mode…" 

"Not so fast!" Marik countered. "When your monster is summoned, Slifer's secondary effect is activated!" The great dragon opened its second mouth and unleashed another blast of light unto the field, annihilating the new dragon. "Whenever a monster is summoned, Slifer automatically drains 2000 points from whatever mode it's currently in. Your Dragon Dwelling in the Cave couldn't survive a hit!" 

"So I noticed." Ansem muttered. "I can't do anything- it's your move." 

"Normally, I'd prefer to draw this out." Marik told Ansem. "But I have places to be… pharaohs to obliterate… you understand…" 

"Of course." Ansem growled. 

"I play Raigeki!" Marik laughed, as bolts of lightning fell onto each of Ansem's monsters, leaving him without any defense. "It is appropriate your downfall came from a dragon, Ansem Jaeger… albeit one of the strongest creatures in existence!" Slifer shot forward, and unleashed another attack onto Ansem, bringing his life points down to zero. 

Ansem fell to one knee and looked into Slifer's cold, unpitying eyes. He could not speak- the mere sight of the great dragon was enough to frighten him into submission.   


Even after the hologram had faded, Ansem still waited in silence. Marik walked over and took Ansem's deck into one of his mind slave's hands. 

"Here it is…" he said, lifting the Mythic Dragon. "I also think I'll take these Locator cards… and perhaps afterwards you'll remember your role." 

Ansem Jaeger said nothing. 

"I assume then, you do not wish to rejoin my ranks?" Marik asked. "If that is what you want. You have lost your only opportunity to get the Blue-Eyes. I will be sure to remember your treachery after I've dealt with the pharaoh." 

As he turned to leave, Ansem muttered: "He'll beat you." 

"What?" Marik snapped back. 

"Yugi will beat you." Ansem repeated. "His belief is stronger than you know. Because of his teachings, and not your powerful cards, I was able to overcome Kaiba and prove the value of my own dragons." 

"You dare speak of me like that?" Marik growled. "I give you some of the best cards in the game, as well as free reign… and you claim my help was irrelevant? It is Yugi Mutoh who is irrelevant!" 

"You'll understand, Marik…" Ansem smirked. "When you duel him, face-to-face… you will understand…" 

"I don't have time for your ramblings." Marik snapped as he headed away. "I will deal with you once Yugi Mutoh lay bleeding at my feet."   


After that, Marik and Ansem Jaeger never saw one another again. Ansem made a brief communication to Yugi before he left Battle City and returned to his quiet life at home. 

"Thank you, Yugi." Ansem said as he shook the duelist's hand. "You have given me more than I could hope to ever repay. And you have taught me the value of each of my dragons… and for that… I am forever in your debt." 

Ansem watched the finals of the Battle City tournament, and cheered Yugi as he went on to victory, assuring Marik's downfall. After that, as some duelists became legendary, he was only occasionally mentioned… 

…the Dragon Duelist… 

…who made himself better… and learned the value of the Heart of the Cards… 

It was a story worth telling.   
  



End file.
